


Far From Home

by EmmaKeladry



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Canon Divergence, Hugh is a doctor, Klingon War, M/M, Paul and Hugh never met before, Paul caring for a baby, Paul is on the run, Romance, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 09:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16595033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaKeladry/pseuds/EmmaKeladry
Summary: Klingon War AU. Hugh is working as a doctor in a far outpost, hiding from the remains of the war. He finds Paul, sick and needing medical care for himself and for the child he rescued. He takes care of Paul and begins to fall for him.





	Far From Home

Doctor Hugh Culber slowly pulled the sheet up to cover the prone figure. He picked up his PADD and entered the time of death into the computer. Another life he couldn’t save. Hugh had been here for six months. It felt like a lifetime. Stranded, so far from home that he didn’t recognize any of the stars at night, and he barely remembered a time before the war. The war with Klingons, which had become the Klingons trying to annihilate all of human life, and there didn’t seem to be an end. Hugh stood up and moved over to his desk, moving past the rows of medical beds, filled with patients, most that were just as sick as the others. Medicine was tight and it was harder to replicate what they needed. The numerous battles, most ending in slaughter, killed a good number of people, but disease and malnutrition killed an almost larger number. It broke Hugh’s heart. He plopped down at his desk, watching as two orderlies removed the body.

“Your shift was done two hours ago.” Doctor Po, a short woman with dark hair, said as she leaned against the wall by his desk. She crossed her arms. “You should go get some rest.”

“I was trying to save her. She was only eighteen, but I couldn’t save her.”

“We’re doing the best we can, Hugh. She was too sick when she came to us. There was only so much we can do when we’re in the middle of a war.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna finish up some paperwork and I’ll head out.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hugh finished the paperwork, making a small note of consolation in his patient’s file if they could find her family. He wanted them to know that he did his best to save their daughter and that she was a good, kind person. He rubbed his forehead and checked the time. Hugh hurried to finish and walked back to his small tent. He was lucky to have his own private tent, complete with running water and a bathroom. Starfleet tried to accommodate its doctor as best they could. And by tent, he meant it was a small temporary dwelling. It wasn’t like tents used to be. It had four semi-sturdy walls, which kept out some of the elements. Hugh quickly cleaned up in the bathroom. He dressed in jeans and a blue/white flannel shirt. He slipped on his black jacket and headed to the mess tent.

“Hey Jack,” Hugh greeted, touching the shoulder of the man hovering by the stove near a large pot of chili. “How are you?”

“Been better. My wife took ill last night.” The large man wiped a hand on his apron.

“Do you need me to take a look at her?” Hugh asked. Jolene was very sweet and helped out in the kitchen with a few others. She’d sneak Hugh extra food when he was too tired to come eat after work.

“No. It’s just a touch of morning sickness.” Jack grinned at him.

“Morning sickness. Congratulations.” Hugh shook Jack’s eager hand.

“Thanks. I’m not sure it’s much of congratulations to my wife and I since the living conditions here are so poor. We’ll have to manage.” Jack released his hand and went to check the ovens for the bread.

Hugh washed up and grabbed an apron. “Well, if you need anything, I’m always available to check up on Jolene. You’ve both been kind to me.”

Jack motioned for him to hand him some warm sweet potatoes. He added them to the blender, making them into a thick paste. Hugh wondered what that was for, but he didn’t ask.

“You’re a great guy, Hugh. When are you going to find a man that makes you as happy as Jolene and I?”

Hugh laughed once. “I’m not sure he exists. I’ve been looking, but war time isn’t the best time to date.” He used the large knife to slowly cut the warm bread into small servings.

Jack set the tub of butter close to him. “It might be the only time to date. I’ve seen the Federation Broadcasts. It doesn’t look good. We might only have this for a long while.”

Hugh couldn’t argue with that.

They both worked in silence, preparing the two types of soup for dinner, chili and chicken noodle. Hugh prepped the bread, adding in some butter to moisten it. It smelled so good. His stomach grumbled. He’d missed his lunch break due to work and only had a small bran muffin for breakfast. Jack noticed his distraction and insisted he eat before he served the others. Hugh quietly ate his small bowl of soup, bread, and small helping of sweet potatoes. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

It was time to open up the food lines. Hugh helped move the food to the serving table. Everything was served buffet style and all of the diners were good at only taking their portion. The long tables in the mess tent filled the rest of the room. The next hour flew by as Hugh helped a few people who were too weak to get their own food, and he helped refill the serving table when food started to get low. Two younger men helped clean up the dishes.

Finally, Hugh sat down to take a short break. His feet ached. Jack walked past, putting another small serving of bread in front of him, wrapped in a napkin. He peaked at it, seeing there was strawberry jam on it. The strawberry jam was reserved only for breakfast. Hugh smiled and ate it in silence. A lot of the diners had eaten and gone to find something to do. The meeting tent showed a movie at night to keep up spirits. It wasn’t Hugh’s favorite place to go, but he’d met a few men that way. No one stayed more than one night. People moved in and out of the camp as quick as they could find transport to another outpost with the potential for more space and food.

Hugh stood up to return helping when a soft sound caught his attention. It was the soft whimper of a child. He looked around. There hadn’t been any children in the outpost in a few weeks. The whimper quickly turned to soft crying.

A pale man with blond hair sat in a corner with a bundle in his arms. Hugh caught his eyes, his mouth parting at the man’s vivid blue eyes. His face had quite a few weeks growth of facial hair, making him look scruffy and a bit ragged. There were dark circles beneath his eyes and his cheeks were narrow. He wore dark pants and a raggedy brown jacket over a dark blue sweater. Under different circumstances, Hugh might have wanted to ask this man on a date. He looked back down at the small bundle in his arms. The man lifted a small spoon and offered it the child. The child continued to cry. He pulled the pink blanket down, revealing a small infant, who had to be less than a year old and wearing yellow footie pajamas with ducks on them. Their green eyes brimmed with tears and their light brown hair was messed up from the blanket. A baby. Hugh felt his heart contract. A baby didn’t belong in a remote outpost.

“Shh,” the man whispered, rubbing the baby’s back as it buried its face in his shoulder.

Hugh slowly approached and sat down on the bench across from him. Up close, he could see that the baby’s cheeks were flushed, probably from a fever. There was an untouched bottle on the table. Hugh discovered where the bowl of pureed sweet potatoes had gone.

“Is that your daughter?” he asked, hoping he wasn’t wrong to assume the baby was a girl.

“She’s not. I rescued her from an abandoned ship. Her parents were killed, so I’ve been taking care of her.” He kissed the little girl’s head. “I can’t get her to eat,” he murmured.

“I’m Hugh. I’m a doctor. Can I take a look at her?”

The man reluctantly let Hugh hold her. She didn’t seem scared of him, which helped.

“Her name is Nora. That’s all I really know. It was embroidered on her blanket and there was a note in the ship’s computer about her date of birth. That’s all I had a chance to access before we had to flee. She’s eight months old, almost nine.”

Hugh felt the little girl’s fever through her clothing. He wished he had his medical tricorder with him, but they were limited. He had a personal one in his tent, but he didn’t take it out with him every day. She rested her head against his chest. Oh. Hugh picked up the bottle and touched her cheek with the nipple. She turned her head and started to suck on it.

The man smiled. “Good girl Nora.”

“What’s your name?” Hugh asked, seeing the man had lowered his guard some.

“Paul. Formally Lieutenant Paul Stamets, but I don’t have a ship or a home anymore. I’m just Paul.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

They sit in comfortable silence as the baby drinks her bottle. Hugh watches as Paul returns to his own food. He eats a few bites of the soup before putting his spoon down and resting one hand on his stomach. Paul pulls apart the bread, eating the smaller pieces. Hugh observes him, noting the gleam in Paul’s eyes. The baby wasn’t the only one with a fever and clearly not well. Paul drank his water, looking down at the blanket in his lap. He’d clearly been through something terrible. Although who hadn’t suffered because of the war. Nora finished her bottle, her eyes closing. Hugh gently passed her back to Paul. Paul quickly wrapped her up in the blanket and cradled her against his chest. It was endearing.

“She needs medical care.” Hugh kept his voice soft so not to wake her. “I’m almost done working and then I can go with you to the clinic, help you skip the lines.” He stood up and straightened his apron.

“You work here too?” Paul frowned.

“No. I just volunteer in the kitchens in my free time. I don’t have much else to do.” Hugh wanted to put a hand on Paul’s shoulder, but he didn’t want to scare the man away. “I’ll be right back.”

“We’ll be here.”

Hugh gathered up Paul’s dishes, taking them back to the wash room. Jack grinned at him when he entered.

“I see you made a friend.”

Hugh tried to keep the grin from his face. “His name is Paul and the baby’s name is Nora. They need medical care. I’m going to help them. Do you know anything about him?”

Jack dried his hands on a towel. “I know he arrived with the baby on the latest transport this morning. There were only sixteen people, including him. The last outpost they were at was bombed heavily. Not many survived. Most of the group went straight to medical. He came here. He’s been here with the baby most of the day, just holding her. He said he rescued her a month ago. He’s been raising her on his own. It’s very sweet.”

“I’m gonna take them to the clinic and make sure they get seen. The little one needs medication.” Hugh pulled off his apron.

“Wait, I have something for you before you go.” Jack pulled out a handful of wrapped sweets from his pocket. “From Jolene and I. I smuggled them in the last supply order. We saved some for the others, but I wanted to make sure you got some. I know you have a sweet tooth.”

“I can’t –”

“Take them,” Jack laughed. “You don’t want to insult Jolene. She picked this kind out specifically for you.”

Hugh put them in his pocket. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hugh put his apron away and headed back to the main area. Paul sat with Nora, rocking her in his arms. He walked over to them and smiled. Paul stood up slowly, favoring his left side. Hugh frowned as he noticed it. Paul clearly needed some help. They walked in silence to the medical area. Paul moved slower, making sure to keep Nora’s face covered by the blanket. It was a desert planet, but it was also winter and cold. Hugh wanted to offer Paul his scarf to warm him, but he didn’t want to insult the man. It was dark, the area only lit by a few spot lights by the main areas. Nora whimpered in Paul’s arms.

When they entered the medical area, Hugh took them straight to his desk and gestured for Paul to sit. He groaned as he sat. Nora’s feverish eyes concerned Hugh as he look at them. He gently took the baby and lay her down on a biobed. Her stats appeared on the screen. Not too bad. She started to cry again. Paul jumped up from the chair and reached for her.

“Just a second,” Hugh said calmly. “I need to get a blood sample.”

Paul waited anxiously wringing his hands as Hugh took the sample from the little girl’s leg. She cried out. Hugh picked her up, whispering softly that she was okay and he was gonna give her back to her daddy.

“Your turn,” Hugh said, gesturing to the biobed.

“No. I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor or medicine,” Paul spat. His cheeks turned bright red. “Sorry. Thank you, but no. I just want to make sure Nora is okay.”

“It looks like a bacterial ear infection. It’s not bad. I can give her some medication to make her feel better.” Hugh grabbed a hypospray, looking for the correct medication in the computer. They didn’t keep medication for little ones on hand. He’d have to take it from the replicator. It would be okay. He’d explain it to Doctor Po in the morning. “Where are you both staying?”

“I have a cot in the communal tent. I don’t know where that is, but I’ll find it.”

Hugh winced. No. The communal tent was unclean and was where some of the overflow patients went. It wasn’t the best place for a child, especially a sick infant.

“If you’d like, you are welcome to stay in my tent tonight. It’s clean. I have a private shower and there’s room. I can find something for Nora to sleep in, so she’ll be okay. That way I can keep an eye on her fever and make sure she recovers.” He wanted to say that it would give him a chance to keep an eye on Paul’s fever too, but didn’t want to scare him. “Please, I want to help you.”

“Why?” Paul stared at his feet.

“You need help and so does Nora. I’m willing to help you with nothing in return. I promise.”

Paul looked as if he wanted to protest, but he didn’t. “Okay.”

Hugh’s heart skipped a beat. Good.  He could protect them better this way and for some odd reason, he wanted to be close to this man and to protect him. He couldn’t explain it, but Hugh cared for him.


End file.
